Tripura demands CBI probe into 'poor quality' works

Agartala, Sept 19: The Tripura government has recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the “poor quality” of work undertaken by central government agencies, like Hindustan Steel Works Construction Ltd, in the Northeastern state, a state Minister said here on Tuesday.

Tripura PWD and Health Minister Badal Choudhury said the demand was raised during the two-day visit of Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation D.V. Sadanda Gowda to the State last week.

“During a review meeting we requested the Union Minister to conduct a probe by the CBI into the works of central agencies in different projects,” Choudhury said.

“Quality of work of different central agencies, especially the HSCL (Hindustan Steel Works Construction Ltd) is very poor and they take a long time, much beyond the schedule, to complete the projects. There are many complaints against the work of HSCL,” he said.

HSCL, which is under the Union Ministry of Steel, under a tripartite agreement with the Tripura government, has been undertaking various projects in the State, including the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yoja (PMGSY), construction of district hospitals and concrete draige system.

Choudhury said Gowda assured he would look into the State government’s demand and directed the central agencies to maintain quality and adhere to the schedule to complete the projects and schemes.

Besides the HSCL, other central government agencies working on projects include tiol Buildings Construction Corporation, tiol Projects Construction Corporation Limited, Northeastern Electric Power Corporation, Airports Authority of India, Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), among others.

Choudhury told Gowda that various important projects were pending and urged that work on them is started.

“Construction works for expansion of Agartala airport, construction of a bridge over river Feni to connect Bangladesh with India, various major bridges linking the tiol highways should start immediately,” he added.

Gowda inspected various ongoing centrally funded projects in Tripura during his visit. He asked the NFR official to complete the new India-Bangladesh railway project along Tripura.

The Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project, which was filised in January 2010, is likely to be completed by next year end and would be operatiol by January 2019. The Agartala-Akhaura railway line would facilitate carriage of goods to and from both the countries and benefit India’s land-locked Northeastern States. (IANS)